When most people try to lose weight, they watch one number: the scale. But not all weight loss is...
The Connections between Sleep and Food
By: Scottsdale Weight Loss Center
Published: April 1, 2022
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Recent data from the Sleep Center of Excellence at Columbia University, shows that when we redmuce sleep by about four hours per night, for four nights, that it led to an increase in eating. The increase in eating amounted to 300 calories per day. The increase is controlled by the reward center of our brain specific to food as well as a change in our appetite hormones. That means this increased appetite can actually be measured in the blood. At the end of the day, people who sleep less feel more hunger and more often crave and eat foods that are higher in sugar and in fat.
The increase of 300 calories eaten was because sleep has a direct effect on the reward centers in our brain. Less sleep also changes one of our appetite hormones, specifically the one that controls hunger. The research has shown that people who sleep less feel hungrier and often crave and eat foods that are higher in sugar and fat.
About 35% of Americans get less than the minimum recommendation of seven hours of sleep per night. 10-30% of these “short” sleepers often suffer from sleep problems like insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea. Regular sleep less than 7 hours a night has been associated with many medical problems. The medical problems range from psychological conditions to chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
As poor sleep also negatively affects diet… a poor diet can also negatively affect sleep.
The research also shows that more fiber, less saturated fat, and less sugar result in deeper, less disturbed sleep at night. It may be helpful to eat a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and legumes. The research concluded that those who followed this diet were 1.4 times more likely to have a good night’s sleep and 35% less likely to have insomnia.
The reasons that sleep and the food we consume are so connected are not completely understood but it’s partly because protein-rich foods such as nuts and seeds, fish, poultry, and eggs contain tryptophan. Trytophan is an amino acid from which the sleep-regulating hormone melatonin is produced in the brain. Other foods including tomatoes, pineapple, tart cherries, bananas, apples, vegetable oils, nuts, and animal products contain melatonin itself.
The effects of diet on sleep may be as or more powerful than mindfulness practices (increasing awareness and acceptance of one’s thoughts and feelings like meditation) or melatonin supplementation through pills. Studies show that melatonin supplements on average reduce the time to fall asleep by four minutes; In one study, a healthy diet reduced the time to fall asleep by about 12 minutes, and the overall sleep quality was better.
Lastly, eating well throughout the day could produce a deeper, more restful, and restorative sleep which, in turn, could contribute to making better food choices.
Adapted from an article by Marie-Pierre St-Onge, published in Medscape
Nick
Nick's Story
"I wish I would have come here first. We spend all our time reacting to the next great weight loss tip or program. It might work for a while, but does not last and we end up yo-yoing from one fad to the next – as we gain more weight." Read More
Gina
Lost 44.5 lbs
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I will always have my relationship with Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. They truly helped me change my life forever." Read More
Lauren
Lost 60 lbs
"Dr. Ziltzer and everyone who I have come in contact with at the Scottsdale Weight Loss office have been so encouraging and I look forward to seeing them each week. It is now a year and 2 months later since I started. I am down 60 lbs., which is the average amount a 9-year-old weighs, it is crazy to think I lost a whole person! I feel amazing, I hit my goal weight in November 2021 just before Thanksgiving. Nothing on my body hurts anymore..." Read More
Chuck
Lost 66 lbs
"The best thing I did was call the Scottsdale Weight Loss Center. I have a lot more energy, I'm not hungry, and it feels great.
You can take it from me that this is a program that produces results. The staff is always positive, supportive, and never judgmental.
Your visits always result in positive reinforcement, no matter if you had a good week or a bad week." Read More
Emily
Lost 101 lbs
"Here I am at the lowest I have been since high school weighing in at 155lbs. I have lost 101 lbs, BMI of 39 when I started, to 21.6, and of course at body fat % of 47.1 to 26.5%. I told myself by my 30th birthday I wanted to be confident in the way I look and I owe it all to SWLC. The entire staff is so welcoming and they are rooting for you just as much as you are rooting for yourself...." Read More
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Meet Our Team
Robert Ziltzer, MD, FACP, FAAP, FOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Diana Bone, FNP-C
Specializing in Obesity Medicine
Craig Primack, MD, FACP, FAAP, MFOMA
Obesity Medicine Certified Physician
Kristen Ash, FNP-C, FNP-BC
Nurse Practitioner
Alicia Earley, FNP-C
Family Nurse Practitioner
